Another year GONE... so you dressed up in your festive clothes, gathered with friends and partied TOO hard and drank TOO much.

SO, you start your New Year 2016 killing off brain and liver cells? The familiar jokes come out as well: The liver must be punished…or who needs those weak brain cells anyway. Why do you do this to yourself over and over?

Rosemary is an herb that is very healthy for the brain. Eating it or using a single essential oil of Rosemary will get you started on your detox. Add some musadadine juice and lemon for heart and liver health. To top it off, add a detox class or a self-help event to start your year off right. Join me live or by audio for classes or sign up for the March event at http://www.wellness-wins.com/events-classes/.

Here is a recovery tonic to get you started on a healthier note this New Year’s Day.

Rosemary Detox Tonic

2 drops of Rosemary essential oil or crushed Rosemary leaf (Call me at 703-217-5269 or 703-217-8211 for details on getting the right essential oils)

My favorite uncle died at age 60 after having his third heart attack. The doctors had told him he had to stop eating butter and eggs to protect him from another heart attack. In fact, he stopped eating eggs and had two pieces of white bread (sugar) and margarine (which he was told was healthier than butter) for breakfast every morning with his coffee.

News Blast: What we now know about EGGS and CHOLESTEROL… National news programs report we know that consumption of eggs is no longer considered in the government dietary guidelines list to be avoided. They state that cholesterol found in foods, such as eggs, is no longer listed as a “nutrient of concern.” The proposed changes are now supported by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology who stated, “there wasn’t definitive evidence to tell the average person to reduce how much cholesterol they consume.” Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic stated, “It’s the right decision. We got the dietary guidelines wrong. They’ve been wrong for decades.” He further stated that only twenty percent of a person’s cholesterol comes from food and that the suggestion to avoid eggs was never based upon good science. Szabo, L. USA Today Feb. 12, 2015

There are some important guides to adding eggs back to your diet as not every egg is created equal. It is important to stay away from factory farmed eggs to avoid antibiotics and added hormones. If you purchase your eggs at the grocery store look for these healthier labels:

Organic - Organic means the chicken has access to organic food and likely Non-GMO. Don’t be fooled by the label of All Natural which simply means it is an egg. It is likely from a chicken grown in a factory farm that treats their chickens with antibiotics and growth hormones since the chickens are grown in a crowded environment and gives them hormones to expedite the development of the chicken. These antibiotics and hormones are likely passed on to the consumer.

Free-Roaming - Free-Roaming means the chickens are raised outside and given access to the fresh foods and bugs that birds eat. Most have access to organic food and not supplemented with grains. This is different from Cage-Free and Vegetarian-fed. Cage-Free simply means the door of the cage is open and they can go outside to eat bugs and seeds. Vegetarian-fed means they are fed a vegetable diet, not necessarily a healthy one. Both are usually supplemented with grains.

Pastured - This is very close to free-roaming and is a good option. Read carefully as not to pick up the Pasteurized labeled eggs as this is very different. Pasteurized means the eggs are sterilized. Once pasteurized the food value of the egg drops tremendously. Yes you have a very sterol egg but the nutrients are reduced in this process. So if you want a clean egg, just wash it before cracking it.

Join me at the 2016 Invisible Illnesses Summit in Charleston, South Carolina, March 18-19, 2016.

Time is flying like the autumn leaves and I want to make sure you start your planning for early spring now.

Isn’t it time that you take control of your own health. Many think taking control of your health means: weight control, getting your flu shot or taking your aspirin every day. Or getting just one more anti-aging surgery and adding another activity to your day which turns out to be stress rather than fun.

Wellness Wins and the Institute for Wholistic Rejuvenation will present our second Invisible Illnesses Summit on March 18-19 2016 in the Charleston area. Our focus is to educate a larger number of clients and patients on what they can do daily to improve their quality of life through examining the root causes of inflammation and the actions they can take to reduce inflammation in their bodies.

I'm leading this effort as a South Carolina practitioner along with Dr. Gloria Gilbere, a long time pioneer in the reduction of inflammation, to enhance quality of life and health regardless of a disease diagnoses. Both of us are survivors of fibromyalgia syndrome and we have made our life missions to help other sufferers with these types of disorders. The Summit will also feature local speakers and vendors who can help you with solving these problems.

Invisible Illnesses are disorders which show little if any physical signs problems but rob us of our health. Some of these disorders include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, diabetes, heart disease, and even alzheimer’s.

After a long hot summer, does your body feel like it's moldy with fungus and in need of a Fall Detox?

We are already well into the Fall season with tickles in our throats, watery eyes and nose sniffles. So why such a problem now and what can be done?

The fall season brings along mature plants with seeds flying through the air. Some will sprout in decayed leaves but some will become part of the decay. Leaves fall and create mulch but that mulch is decay, mold and stale water to make our noses sensitive. And what happens with all those bugs which shed their wings and skin this time of year? They are part of the mulch which is being created!

The pollens from all the mature plants are flying through the air. Some are beautiful like the parachutes from the dandelion. I love the seeds of the bee balm and basil floating in the air. Are all of these causing our sensitivities to blossom too? We know for a fact that the infamous ragweed and goldenrod with their spores floating around in the autumn air are huge enemies for many.

And then there is the mold or fungi. It is in our homes, yards, cars and storage bins all summer long, just growing but then in the fall with cool days and nights it flourishes. On top of that we close our doors and turn on the heat without changing that furnace filter and BOOM more mold and dust mites grow.

So what can be done to help?

Fall is the perfect time to detox with the right fruits and vegetables, avoid sugar rich foods and survive the pollen, weeds and mold. Foods to consume with vigor are from the natural harvest of the season. Enjoy the harvest time holidays without high sugar consumption as this will keep your immune system healthy.

Wellness Wins can help with a Fall Detox and a special Fall Allergy Kit. This detox will help strengthen your immune system and give protection from fall symptoms. The kit includes three supplements to help you combat the pollen, weeds, and mold, support you if you have an allergic reaction and help you avoid going to the doctor when you think an antibiotic is in line. Both single and family packages are available. Please call or email me to discuss your needs.

There are many challenges with a gluten, casein and nightshade free diet. But going on just a gluten free diet may not be enough to control your pain, fatigue and inflammation. Gluten is often hard to pinpoint as a problem because some people are not allergic but are sensitive. Gluten symptoms come in a variety of ways. Most often gluten will trigger a gastrointestinal response but many times causes severe energy depletion, headaches, and nerolgical symptoms to name a few. Casein most often delivers gastrointestinal symptoms as well as sinus and ear infections. The nightshades (peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant) do not actually cause inflamation but if an inflammation is present, nightshades enhance the pain and inflammation. So it is benefitial to stay off of nightshades to take control of your inflammation.

Monica Pelletier has written an awesome cookbook with wonderful recipes which fit all of the needs for people who need to be off of these foods. I find that people who are allergic, sensitive or have illnesses such as: fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, IBS, ADHD, and autism can benefit from this diet which often makes their symptoms less severe. Monica has tested each and every recipe at least twice on family and friends with superb results. My favorites are the Green Coconut Chicken and Chocolate Cinnamon Corn. Find Monica’s cookbook at the following link -

Yes, this wonderful kitchen can be yours from the beginning seed to the development of compost to fertilize the seed. Delicious food is made in your kitchen by making healthy living a family affair and using the resources in your community. Your community can provide advice and often the organic, local vegetables and grass-fed meats to prepare in your kitchen. Unfortunately, many find learning how to create this new kitchen environment too time consuming or just too hard since the knowledge of how to do this is limited. A good holistic nutritionist can mentor you and your family in the creation of this new kitchen.

Often I get questions from people who want to change what and how they buy and prepare food … Such as, am I going to have to read thirty books on sustainable, organic living and watch all the Dr Oz’s past and future shows to learn how to build this healthy kitchen? Then the questions begin…How do I buy and cook the right food? What kinds of pots are safe to cook in? Should I be a vegetarian? What is local and organic? What is sustainability and what does this have to do with me or my kitchen? I will give you some insight into these questions over the next few weeks but rest assured that this kitchen is not as hard to develop as you think.

One can pick up some books by Michael Pollan, such as, Omnivores Dilemma or In Defense of Food. You can read the tremendous number of publications on nourishing foods by Sally Fallon and the Weston A. Price Foundation. As a nutritionist I have this knowledge through years of research and can help you with your journey.

There are some aides to help you get started… I would like to recommend a book which summarizes how to create the healthy kitchen. This book is by Alexandra Zissu who writes on green living, food and parenthood. Her book, “The Conscious Kitchen”, starts with definitions of terms such as: agribusiness, carbon footprint, organic, local and sustainable agriculture. She describes the environments to grow your own food or where to buy safe food. She gives recipes, references to websites and books to get a thorough understanding of feeding your family the best foods.

Over the next few weeks I will give you some more details on how to pursue your journey to the healthy kitchen.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome affecting some 12 million Americans. If you suffer from fibromyalgia or know someone who does, you’re probably aware of the symptoms that plague people with this disease- all over body pain, aches, exhaustion, trouble sleeping, irritable bowels, cognitive impairment and more.

What you may not be familiar with, however, is the solution to your problem. I know I wasn’t for some time..

My name is C.J. Powell and my fibromyalgia was triggered after a bicycle accident I had over 10 years ago. I soon afterward developed chronic pain throughout my body, and there was nothing the doctors could do to treat me.

I went for years searching for the answer, all the while my pain increasing. I was on 9 different medications, I had to turn down a promotion at work, and I lost control of my health and life almost overnight.

Over the next ten years, I made a commitment to find my way back to health. What I discovered completely changed my life.

I’m here to say that Fibromyalgia and other chronic pain/fatigue syndromes can be treated.

You can live a life free from pain and be victorious over this disease!

Through diet, exercise, environment and mind-body-spirit support, I gradually detoxed my body and returned to a radiant, positive state of health in my life again.

I wish I had known earlier, what I do now:

Pain and inflammation can be managed through diet.

By cutting out sugar, gluten, casein, dairy, and nightshades, I was able to reduce the toxic overload in my body, which was the underlying cause for my pain and fatigue. Then, I cleansed out other chemicals and allergens in my environment and began to give myself the proper nutrition and positive energy I needed on all levels to recover completely.

My path was long. I went through trial and error. But you don’t have to.

Getting the support you need from an experienced professional as well as someone who’s been in your shoes and tried all the techniques, will be invaluable to your recovery.

It’s my passion to help others recover from this and other similar diseases. To free you from pain and fatigue and step you through the path to victory I walked.

Stop fibromyalgia in its tracks and return to health!

Wellness is the best gift you could ever give yourself, and your key to a happy, successful life. .